Cannabis "Hullabaloo" coming to the Arcata ballpark

by Max Rodriguez

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ARCATA, Calif. - The Arcata Ballpark, home of the Humboldt Crabs, will have a new set of visitors next month. The ballpark will be hosting the "Yes We Cann Parade and Hullabaloo" on August 12, and the organizer said this will be a family friendly event aiming to educate the community about cannabis.

Event organizer, Stephen Gieder with Humboldt Green, said, "We are not bringing a bunch of pot smoking hippies together to jump around and bang on drums and burn incense and listen to music."

The parade will begin at the H-S-U parking lot near Fourteen and Union Street. The group will walk down to the plaza for a couple laps, and finish the parade at the ballpark, where the "Hullabaloo" will take place.

Gieder said the purpose of the event is to educate you and your family about cannabis. He said, "You would want to show up, you get to see how people make things, you get to talk to the medicine makers, you get to talk to the farmers, you get to talk to the consultants, you can find out for yourself how to bring your business onto a regulated process."

And Gieder is not new at planning these types of events, he's been behind Cannifest and Humboldt Green Week. Gieder said, "You could sign up to be part of the parade, and you get in free to the hullabaloo, so we plan on having thousands of people at this event."

But the special event permit for the "215 section" at the event is still not a green light. Arcata City Manager, Karen Diemer, said she wants City Council and public input before deciding to roll with it.

Diemer said, "Right now it's all included in the requested permit and I can't say for certain how the final permit would look like."

What could also put a pause to that decision is Senate Bill 162. Similar to tobacco products, this bill aims to prevent advertisement of cannabis toward children.

Diemer said, "And that's when we get into some conversation about what is real advertising and what's advertising to adults and what's advertising to children."

But Gieder sees this future cannabis event as one for the entire family.

Gieder said, "A lot of times when there's festivals, you have a kids corner, and people kind of leave their kids there, well this isn't it, this is the family interactive zone."

If the "215 site" does get permitted, Gieder said it will be fenced-in and blocked from eye's view. Also only those who are over 21 with a recommendation letter will be allowed inside.